Abstract: A hydraulic damping device includes a housing defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a damping plate disposed within the housing, the damping plate including a plurality of damping holes defined therethrough and positioned to allow fluid communication between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and a blocking member disposed within the housing and configured to rotate relative to the damping plate to progressively block the damping holes.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor (10) having a frame with sides (14, 16) and a cover associated with at least one side, an inertial sensor (30) positioned between the at least one side of the frame and the cover, a seal located between the cover and the frame side to prevent contaminants from entering a space about the inertial sensor, the inertia sensor including a movable mass (34) and a magnet (36) spaced from the mass (34) to create a magnetic force upon the mass (34) preventing the magnet from moving excessively if the retractor is subject to predetermined levels of vibration.

Abstract: A plus-two belt system is provided. The plus-two belt system is a supplement to a traditional three-point belt system. The plus-two belt system has a longitudinal webbing anchored at a first end and coiled on a retractor at a second end. When an occupant is sensed and the vehicle engine is on, a reminder chime can sound when a magnetic strip in the webbing of the plus-two belt system is detected. The magnetic strip can be detected with a Hall effect sensor and the Hall effect sensor can be located adjacent the retractor.

Abstract: An engine mount includes a nozzle plate mounted between an insulator and a diaphragm so as to divide an interior into an upper liquid chamber and a lower liquid chamber, and an annular flow path formed in the nozzle plate so that an encapsulated hydraulic liquid flows between the upper liquid chamber and the lower liquid chamber, the nozzle plate being opened at an upper side of the flow path; a shielding member which has two or more shielding plates arranged to cover the upper side of the flow path; an adjusting bolt which is rotatably mounted in a core coupled to the insulator; and a connector, in which the shielding plates are folded or unfolded in accordance with a rotation of the adjusting bolt, and a size of an upper flow path hole is determined depending on a state in which the shielding plates are folded or unfolded.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a braking system for a positioner unit in a medical imaging apparatus includes a first brake coupled to a drive unit that is configured to drive the positioner unit along an axis susceptible to influence of gravity. A second brake is coupled to the positioner unit, and configured for operating independently of the first brake. Examples of positioner unit include a patient cradle in a patient support table, and a C-arm and a pivot in a vascular gantry.

Abstract: A cable brake has an electromagnet for selectively releasing a mass to fall down guide rods under the effect of gravity and impact a trigger lever to release a crossbar from a pawl, whereupon pressure springs move a brake plate against a cable strand to halt the cable strand. The pressure springs extend between a first pressure plate at the brake plate and a spaced second pressure plate that can be displaced along a path by a cooperating screw and nut to pre-stress the pressure springs. The pressure springs are relaxed in one end position of the path whereby the crossbar connected to the first pressure plate by a release bar is engaged by the pawl in a starting position.

Abstract: A brake device for a strap-reel frame is installed on the frame body of the strap-reel frame for braking the inner and the outer disc pivotally fitted on the horizontal shaft of the frame body. The brake device includes a swinging rod having one end pivotally connected with a preset portion of the frame body above the horizontal shaft and able to be actuated to swing downward by its own gravity. The swinging rod has its intermediate portion fixed with two brake blocks able to be moved downward together with the swinging rod to push against the outer circumferential edge of the inner disc and stop the inner disc from rotating.

Abstract: A cable brake has an electromagnet releasably retaining a mass that falls down guide rods under the effect of gravity and impacts a first arm of a trigger lever. Upon impact by the mass, the trigger lever rotates a second arm with a pawl to release a crossbar, whereupon pressure springs press a moveable brake plate against a cable strand to halt the cable strand. A return mechanism utilizes a screw and cooperating nut or a coupler to return the moveable brake plate and pre-stress the pressure springs.

Abstract: A rappelling or abseiling device with a rope guide pulley which is rotationally mounted in a housing and is connected by a toothed wheel to two toothed shafts of centrifugal power shoes provided with brake pads, the brake shoes of at least one of the brakes being provided with an additional pair of brake pads and the brake shoes being maintained in their idle position by an electromagnet and a cooperating counter element.

Abstract: A braking device acts on a guide rail and consists of a housing that is arranged at an elevator car yoke and serves as a support for spring packets and/or for adjusting packets. The housing also serves as a support and guide for chock guide elements that in turn retain and guide brake chocks with brake linings. Pushrods engage at one end at the brake chocks, and at the other end are pivotably connected to an actuating fork. Upon braking of the elevator car, the actuating fork is moved at the pushrod end in the direction of the braking device. The guided brake chocks with the brake linings slide in the braking device. At the same time the brake linings are moved at the guide leg of the guide rail. The brake chocks are moved in the braking device and the spring and adjusting packets are stressed, whereby a braking force for stopping an elevator car or a counterweight is generated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a gun brake system adapted to slow the descent of a tool string in a well. In one embodiment, the brake system comprises a brake installed within the well and having a snug fitting restriction and one or more fluid channels extending along a portion thereof. The brake system further provides means for maintaining the fluid volume substantially constant within the production tubing to which the gun brake is installed.

Abstract: An automatic braking system for wheelchairs which prevents rearward, downhill motion of wheelchairs while having no effect on horizontal or uphill motion. The braking system is made up of circular ratcheted plates which are attached to the axles of the driving wheels of the wheelchair and L-shaped members slightly in front of and beneath the ratcheted. The L-shaped members are rotatable about axles located in their angles. The long leg of an L-shaped member is directed downwardly by gravity and maintains the short leg in a substantially horizontal position. The short leg forms a pawl which engages the ratchets of the plate when the wheels start to roll backwards when the wheelchair is directed upwardly, thus automatically stopping the wheelchair.

Abstract: To eliminate undesired movement of control members, e.g. throttle control levers, subjected to high fore-and-aft accelerations, a mechanism is proposed in which brake pads (229), (231) bearing on a control surface (220) forming part of the control member are connected by a pivoted lever arrangement (203) to a pendulum (200). Oscillations of the pendulum due for fore-and-aft `g` forces cause a proportional displacement of the lever arrangement (203) which in turn causes one or other of the brake pads (229, 231) to apply a correspondingly greater frictional force to the control surface (220).

Abstract: A braking device for braking the saw chain of a portable motor-driven chain saw having a safety device which has a mass member, a locking lever being provided which is pivotably mounted on the hand guard lever and bears the mass member at its free, sprung end, co-operating by its other end with a control cam which bears against the brake lever and via which the braking operation of the rotating saw chain is controlled, in such a way that the braking operation of the rotating saw chain is automatically initiated, if an uncontrolled acceleration takes place, by the saw rolling down the timber trunk to be sawn at the moment when the saw becomes jammed, with the consequence that the resulting braking force counteracts the accelerating force, so that the recoil angle of the saw is reduced.

Abstract: A watthour meter with a rotatable metering movement responsive to the flow of energy through the meter includes a gravity activatable contact or stop element to engage the metering movement when the meter is inverted for preventing deregistration of consumed energy. Latching means can lock the element in a position showing that the meter had been inverted.

Abstract: Automatic braking apparatus for controlling the speed of a vehicle travelling downwardly on an inclined slope. The apparatus comprises a wheel housing, a pair of specially designed wheels mounted in the housing for combined rotary and axial motion, and a rail engageable between the wheels and moveable longitudinally relative thereto. The wheels have tapered camming surfaces which confront one another and annular braking surfaces facing outwardly in juxtaposition with respect to pads of friction material carried by the housing. A load applied between the rail and the wheels forces the wheels axially outward into engagement with the friction pads to retard rotation of the wheels and thereby to limit the relative velocity between the rail and the wheel housing. In one embodiment, the wheel housing is carried by a pallet and the rail is mounted stationary. Wedge means is provided at the lower end of the rail for engaging between the wheels relatively close to their rotational axis to arrest motion of the pallet.

Abstract: A device for winding up a safety belt is locked in response to a change of inertia of the device housing. The device includes two elements at least one of which is a rotatable member having a pulley at one end with a band wound around it. An end of the band extends from the pulley and is connected to the safety belt. One end of the rotatable member is arranged adjacent the other element in the housing. A locking member is moved by its own inertia in response to an inertial change in the device housing and is engaged between the two elements to lock rotation of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A deceleration controlled and limited brake incorporates a deceleration sensor to limit the amount of braking torque which can be manually applied to a disc type brake. The deceleration sensor is a weighted lever which responds to deceleration by tending to disengage a disc clutch which the activated normal brake lever is engaging. The clutch force is applied at the end of a lever to provide the torque to engage the disc brake and provide deceleration of the vehicle containing the disc brake. Mechanical advantage together with deceleration control is provided by this clutch-brake assembly.

Abstract: An emergency locking retractor system for storing a length of safety belt incorporates a sensor which includes a multi-directional pendulum device displaceable from its rest position by acceleration. Displacement of the pendulum is utilized to change the strength of an energy field imposed upon an electrical signal means. The output signal of the signal means responds to the change in the energy field imposed thereon and the changed signal is employed to activate solenoid switches which lock the retractor. The energy field source may be a magnet or a light source and the signal means then may include, respectively, a Hall device or a phototransistor. Movement of the pendulum from its rest position is utilized to move the magnet closer to or further from the Hall device, or to interpose a shield between the light source and the phototransistor, or to change the position of a reflector used to reflect light from the light source onto the phototransistor.

Abstract: An inertia responsive control device in which a ball is provided which is supported by a recess therebeneath which is smaller in the lateral direction than the ball. A control element is pivotally supported at a point spaced from the ball and extends over and rests on top of the ball, preferably by way of a downwardly concave region. Movement of the ball laterally of the recess is limited so the center of gravity of the ball remains within the limits of the recess. Upward tilting of the control element by movement of the ball laterally of the recess is employed to initiate a control function, such as the locking of a safety belt.